This account is pending registration confirmation. Please click on the link within the confirmation email previously sent you to complete registration.Need a new registration confirmation email? Click here

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

IntercontinentalExchange (
ICE) pushed the Financial Services industry higher today making it today's featured financial services winner. The industry as a whole closed the day up 0.9%. By the end of trading, IntercontinentalExchange rose $3.24 (2.4%) to $140.09 on heavy volume. Throughout the day, one million shares of IntercontinentalExchange exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 443,000 shares. The stock ranged in a price between $136.55-$140.59 after having opened the day at $138.20 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $136.85. Other companies within the Financial Services industry that increased today were:
Penson Worldwide (
PNSN), up 11.3%,
GFI Group (
GFIG), up 7.7%,
W.P. Carey (
WPC), up 6.3%, and
Global Cash Access Holdings (
GCA), up 5.5%.

ACTIVE STOCK TRADERS: Get full access to Jim Cramer's thoughts for less than $3/week - sometimes before he says them on TV! Start with a 14-Day Free Trial.

IntercontinentalExchange, Inc. operates regulated exchanges, clearing houses, and over-the-counter (OTC) markets for agricultural, credit, currency, emissions, energy, and equity index contracts. IntercontinentalExchange has a market cap of $9.89 billion and is part of the
financial sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 17.7, below the average financial services industry P/E ratio of 18.1 and equal to the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 13.5% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday. Currently there are 12 analysts that rate IntercontinentalExchange a buy, one analyst rates it a sell, and three rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates IntercontinentalExchange as a
buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, impressive record of earnings per share growth, compelling growth in net income, expanding profit margins and good cash flow from operations. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company is trading at a premium valuation based on our review of its current price compared to such things as earnings and book value.